Photograph
by Amami-chan's Vanilla Beans
Summary: It's the only evidence of our beautiful and wacky memories. Based on Nickelback's 'Photograph'. — slight HirumaMamori.


**Photograph**

**By Amami-chan's vanilla beans**

**Inspired from Photograph by Nickelback**

**An Eyeshield 21 Fanfic**

**Disclaimer: All thanks to Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata.**

Autumn. A season which that woman thought was the best season in her life. A season where the leaves fall off their trunks and colored the world with their own way, whether it was _maple_ one with its blazing red color, or thousand of _ginkgo _leaves with its sunshine-yellow color. A season where the foods look more delicious than any other season. Lastly, of course, a season when an American Football tournament for senior high school students starts, or what they usually call; the Fall Tournament.

When the word of 'Fall Tournament' came to her mind, she started to smile at herself, trying to recollect her old memories from those years. The years when she became the part of the team, learnt the sport itself, experienced the joy and the sadness from it, and started to like, no, maybe love the American football. She giggled. Maybe it was one case of a compulsion when she joined the team. But really, she never regretted it until now. At all.

And she realized, now she was in front of the building where all started.

She didn't need to think it twice, and she directly entered that building.

The clubroom looked like didn't have any change from a long time ago. It still looked so great and expensive, surely because of the abnormal things that shouldn't in the clubroom, for example was the casino. Sigh, certainly because of that certain devil, she thought. Then, she looked around the room, amazed and thanked for the cleanliness, despite it was an all-men-club. And she caught something in her peripheral vision; the bookshelf.

The bookshelf wasn't one of a big size, but it could save a lot of data, mainly about the information of the other teams. Those were obviously owned by the devil ex-quarterback. Other than the data, were the books which were owned by her or 'The Ambusher'.

She looked at the books and the data one by one and finally found something interesting. She took it out from the bookshelf and then smiled warmly at the thing; which revealed was a scrapbook.

She took the chair and sit on it, then opened the book. The book was so obviously special, at least for her. Because it held nearly all the photos of irreplaceable memories from the time she was the team's manager. She looked at the first photo. It was the match with Oujou which the result was their first loss since she joined them. Next, it was a win against Zokugaku. Then a tie against Taiyou, and after that a loss against Nasa, which because of it the whole team must go to America and instead of spending their heavenly summer holiday in Japan, they did the hellish training which was called the "Death March".

She memorized again about how frightening the boys' decision but still amazed by it. It was hot, _really bloody_ hot like hell, and the member were fighting intensely with that hellish training. That too was the place when they first met two new teammates, the Taki siblings. Since the older Taki joined the team, all of the members gained some confidence. But sometimes some of them nearly gave up and thank God that they really arrived at Las Vegas without any left out member.

She turned the page again and looked at the photos from the Fall Tournament. Their first match was against Amino, and they successfully won. Next was a photo from their match with Kyoshin. At first, they were having a big trouble with it, started with their chibi lineman's disappearance. Thank God they finally found him, and won the second match.

Then, they had a match with Seibu, which surprisingly that the Devil Bats' manager and runningback's childhood friend was in that team as a runningback. One good thing that their kicker was finally back. Unfortunately, Devil Bats couldn't beat them and nearly kicked out from the tournament because of their wide receiver, but fortunately their opponent of that time's wide receiver prevented it for happen.

Next, a photo from their match with Bando. She stopped for a bit, looking unfazed and then continued to recall her memories. It was the time when she finally knew that the 'Eyeshield 21' was none other than her own younger childhood friend. She was really so dejected at that time, continue to blaming herself. Thanks to the devil's concern, she could back to the field and accepted the reality. And about the match, they won it despite the bad weather at that time. They officially became the Tokyo's 3rd place for joined the quarterfinal.

Then, a photo from their first match in the quarterfinal, which revealed was the worst; Shinryuuji. She still remembered how the member's reaction with it. Frightened. Panicked. Even when they were about to training, their biggest lineman disappeared. But finally, their hard work was payable with a sweet victory, and maybe some miracle were included. And surprising events where their weakest member but the hardest perseverance finally stepped the field and scored a touch down, and the oldest brother of three siblings scored a touch down too, for the first time in his position. Still, it was one of her biggest happiness because Devil Bats could beat an unmatchable team who was winning the Kantou Tournament nine times in a row.

Next, a photo from their fateful match, a second match with Oujou. The match was like forever, and the weather was much worse than the time with Bando. She could see their runningback and wide receiver was really beat up, sometimes she thought that it could be worse than an only collapse. The opponent's linebacker was the MVP of last year, and the wide receiver's height was far too different with their own. But they did it. Her childhood friend did it. He really was not the boy whom she always protected at the past. He had already became a grown-up man, and she remembered how his pleased face when he beat his rival.

After that, a photo from their decisive match to go or not to go to their goal; Christmas Bowl. A match against Hakushuu. She must admit, it was the most brutal of match that she ever watched. One of their linemen was so large; and for the worst, he always broke the opponent's quarterback's arm at the match. Only one who saved from that terrible thing, but it only because he forfeited from the tournament. And the Devil Bats' quarterback did give her a plan when it happened to him. But she ripped it, wishing that he would be alright at the H-day.

But God said different. The opponent's lineman did break his right arm terribly. She just said his name softly, shivered, wishing that it was dream. But it wasn't. And she quickly go to his place, verify his condition. She then stayed by his side, until he wanted to go back to the field. She said no. She just didn't want him being like this again. But he always wins, and that was his way. And actually they did win. They would participate in Christmas Bowl. And she prayed at God, that such a thing don't happen again to him and the other members too.

Strangely, her heartbeat never slowed down when she tried to memorize it, even until now.

She turned the page again, and her eyes starting to glistened with tears. It was the photo of their last match together. Her first and her last Christmas Bowl. Their match with Teikoku, which people said, 'the top of everything, and the beginning of everything.' Since the first Christmas Bowl was held on, they always become the championship of it. This was the time when their Eyeshield 21 met the real deal from the real Notre Dame. At first the difference of the score was painfully too far. People started to get feeling that Devil Bats' great struggle only stop at there.

But they, the Devil Bats, with all-stars player from Kantou, believed that it wasn't the end. Their other wide receiver, also known as the weakest member of Devil Bats, actually score the touch down first than any other members. Slowly but surely, they caught up with the opponent's score with their own ability. And finally, the score was tie. Both the Kansai side and even the Kantou side didn't believe that the day will come, when the Kantou would finally win against the Kansai. For their last play, the entire member agreed that the original three members of Devil Bats would do it by kicking. To make another lie become a reality.

She just stared silently and sadly at the devil quarterback when he acted it was just only his friend who hurt by his departure, a long time ago.

And they won. Her tears had fallen out. There was nothing happier than seeing her childhood friend successfully got his goal. No more words that could describe how was her feeling and everybody's feeling. The runningback already said it loudly; Thank God he joined Deimon, and joined the American Football Club.

So on, she turned the page and found more photos after she wasn't the team's manager anymore. Their match with America in World Cup, and a photo of a Kansai boy who joined the Devil Bats after that. The runningback who became the next captain of the club, their second summer training for the second Christmas Bowl. The send-off party for the 3rd grade, and lastly, their last photo together with all members, include the pets and their couch.

Suddenly, she felt some liquid substance wetted her cheek.

That was it. She couldn't control her tears flowing out from her eyes. No matter how often she looked the scrap for more than nth time, she always, always felt it more than just a simple yearning for something. The happiness and the sadness from it mixed into one indescribable feeling. She could be laughing. She could be crying. She could be surprise. She could be down. Sometimes, she wished that she could turn back the time, became together again with the Devil Bats for a lot longer.

But no can do. Even God wouldn't grant the Angel's wishes if it wanted to oppose its fate. And of course she already knew this for a long time.

She wiped her tears, and started to smile warmly at herself. She stood up and returned the scrapbook to it place, then ready to walk out from that clubroom if she hadn't heard that certain male's voice.

"What are you doing, 'Mamori-nee-chan'? Trying to find some snack here? Kekekeke."

His characteristic laugh just made her smile wider. "Only having a little reunion with this place."

"Keh. A bit sentimental, aren't we?" He paused a bit, and started to talk again. "Whatever, Fucking Manager. The Fucking Shrimps have already arrived at the stadium."

The angelic woman looked surprised when she heard that, then checking her wrist-watch. "Really? Isn't the opening just start about two hours from now?"

"Just what do you expect from those idiots? Have those cream puffs disabled your brain's system?" He cackled at his own words, and started to walk off from the club house.

She soon caught up with him and retorted his joke, "Don't ever blame the cream puffs. And I'm not the manager anymore, aren't I? I have my own name, you know."

"Kekekekeke! It's up to me to call you whatever I want! Or do you actually want me to call you..." He paused a bit, a hinted of slyness glinted on his eyes, making the ex-manager felt a bit uneasiness.

"…Fucking Fiancée?"

She became silent for a moment, and opened her mouth again. "…Your win."

Then the devil started to laugh a bit uncontrollably for him, much to her dismay. When he finally stopped, he gave her two boxes in front of her face, and smelled sweet fragrance from it.

Still confused, she opened one of the boxes, to found out that it filled with a dozen of creampuffs.

"What's this, You " She didn't finish her words when he finally cut it.

"All yours." He just said it, then and there. She was about to thank him with sparkling eyes, amazed by his once-a-lifetime kindness, when he turned his head 180 at her and continued his words while grinned widely and scarily (?), "I don't take some returned things."

She couldn't deny her confused feeling, and asked back at him, "Huh?"

"You're late, and I already wasted my time here only to pick you up. You can say that those cream puffs are guarantees for you... to obey my every single word for two months." He finished his sentenced and cackled loudly while still walking.

"Hey! You didn't say anything about this! Wait!"

"Kekekekekekekekeke!"

She didn't say anything at all again, and sighed at her unluckiness. Really, this was another (terrible) thing that she got from knowing the American Football.

American Football…

Deimon Devil Bats…

She stopped herself, took a look at the little building behind her and smiled against it.

"Oi, Fucking Manager! You're such a slowpoke today!"

"Geez, could you be nicer for sometimes?"

It was hard to say it, but it was the time to say it.

Goodbye.

**_Fin_**

**A/N: **Errrrrr…. that's it? I'm really sorry, because English is not my first language, and it become (a lot) rusty, so I was wondering if one of you guys wants to become my beta reader… And do you realize that I didn't write others' name, only Mamori and it's just because of Hiruma's colorful nickname. By the way sorry again because I'm really a novice in this thing, but I can't help to write a fanfic about this pairing… Thank you for reading!


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